By Gus Saltonstall
The results are in for this year’s cycle of participatory budgeting on the Upper West Side and in Morningside Heights.
This week, both Councilmembers Gale Brewer and Shaun Abreu announced the winning neighborhood projects in their respective districts; each project will receive a share of the $1 million allocated to the district in the 2026-27 city budget.
The participatory budgeting process began last fall when residents of both Districts 6 and 7 were asked to submit their ideas for community-improvement projects that would cost at least $50,000 to complete, and would have a lifespan of more than five years if they had to do with infrastructure, or at least three years if they involved electronics, such as funding the purchasing of laptops for a local school or library.
The proposals were then whittled down to a set of finalists and voted on this spring by residents of each district, ages 11 and over.
The following projects got the most votes, and will now receive the funding.
Upper West Side District 6: Gale Brewer
- New York Public Library technology upgrades at St. Agnes, Riverside, and Lincoln Center Performing Arts Libraries to improve their services: $250,000
- Riverside Park public bathroom improvements to improve functionality and maintenance: $300,000
- FDNY Ladder 25 (205 West 77th Street): Replace rooftop heating, ventilation, and AC units to reduce maintenance and improve conditions for firefighters: $400,000
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY): Install video boards in the athletic facility to help students and the school’s many visitors navigate school activities and public events. $175,000
Upper West Side/Morningside Heights District 7: Shaun Abreu
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Technology upgrades for all libraries in District 7 (Bloomingdale, Morningside Heights, George Bruce, Hamilton Grange), which includes new computers, laptops, printers, etc.: $250,000
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Morningside Park Pathway Reconstruction (between upper and lower levels at West 120th Street: $450,000
Abreu also had winning projects located in Harlem.
“My very first job was at Morningside Heights Library, so seeing technology upgrades come in first place is an especially meaningful reminder about how important libraries are to our community,” Abreu wrote to West Side Rag in an email. “Pair that with the paving projects that will improve accessibility and playability in our parks, and we got a winning set of projects I’m excited to fund.”
Brewer wrote in her newsletter, “My thanks to everyone who submitted ideas, volunteered, or cast a vote. Your involvement continues to make a real difference in shaping our community.”
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